Former senator Leila De Lima strongly endorsed the International Criminal Court’s (ICC) arrest of former president Rodrigo Duterte, describing it as a pivotal move toward justice for the victims of his controversial drug war.
“This is deeply personal for me,” De Lima, a vocal critic of Duterte’s anti-drug campaign, said in a statement on Tuesday. “For almost seven years, I was imprisoned on fabricated charges, accused of crimes I did not commit—all because I dared to speak out against Duterte’s drug war.”
De Lima, who was jailed in 2017 on drug-related charges, emphasized that the arrest was not about personal retribution. “This is about justice taking its course,” she said. “Duterte now has to answer for his actions, not in the court of public opinion, but before the rule of law.”
The senator noted that her own legal battle was based on her belief in her innocence. “I stood before the courts because I had nothing to hide,” she stated, adding that those in power must be held accountable like any other citizen.
De Lima also highlighted that Duterte’s arrest marked the beginning of an overdue reckoning. “This arrest should not only signal the end of impunity but ignite a larger movement for justice, transparency, and the restoration of human rights,” she said, referring to the widespread human rights violations tied to Duterte’s war on drugs.
Meanwhile, Duterte’s former legal counsel, Salvador Panelo, condemned the arrest, calling it “unlawful”.
In a statement, Panelo said the Philippine National Police (PNP) did not allow one of Duterte’s lawyers to meet him at the airport and to question the legal basis for Duterte’s arrest. “He was deprived of legal representation at the time of his arrest.”
Panelo further criticized the arrest as “illegal,” claiming that the ICC warrant was issued by a body with no jurisdiction over the Philippines. He warned that the actions of the arresting officers and public officials involved could expose them to criminal liability.
The arrest of Duterte, who served as president from 2016 to 2022, follows an ICC investigation into alleged crimes against humanity linked to his government’s anti-narcotics campaign.
Despite withdrawing from the ICC in 2019, the Philippines is still subject to the court’s jurisdiction regarding crimes committed during the transition period.